A hot topic today with venture capitalists and entrepreneurs is the danger of using deal structure to protect your startup’s valuation. We see this happening all too often, so let’s take a look at it. The temptation of a high valuation As a founder, it’s natural to want to feel like your company is worth a lot – whether it’s a $500 million valuation or, ideally, a $1 billion valuation. But here’s the thing: Valuation isn’t everything.